Clematis plant named &#39;Evipo044&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, white flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Genus: Clematis

Species: cartmanii

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo044’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1995 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands. The new variety named ‘Evipo044’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent primarily by flower size and compactness of growth habit.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant white flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Early flowering.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo044’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 1996. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo044’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 1996. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo044’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo044’. Specifically illustrated in the drawing are flowers at various stages of development, flower in parts, leaves, and stems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo044’, as observed in its growth throughout in a glasshouse located in Lancaster, Pa. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 18 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of a non-patented clematis variety Clematis×cartmanii ‘Joe’ are compared to ‘Evipo044’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo044’ ‘Joe’ Flower diameter 45 mm 35 mm Leaf morphology Elliptic Digitate Tepal overlap none partial

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Very early flowering in the season.             Recurrent. The natural flowering period is from early April             to September.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 18 mm in length. Bud diameter is             6 mm. Bud form: Tubular.         -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Smooth Length: On average 30 mm.             Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B. Strength: Moderately strong.         -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Smooth, lightly pubescent.             Shape: Funnel Size: 2 mm (h)×2 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green             Group 144B.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: Old growth. Borne:             Normally in clusters of 15 to 25 flowers.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 45 mm in             diameter and 7 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are flat.             Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain 7             days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: The upper surface is White Group 155C.             The lower surface is White Group 155C. Quantity: Normally 6             tepals. Size: 22 mm in length by 8 mm wide. Shape:             Individual tepal shape is lanceolate The tepal apex and base             are acute. Apex Recurvature: None. Tepal Cross section:             Flat. Margins: Entire. Persistence: Tepals drop away             cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: Female reproductive parts             are tightly clustered and upright. Male parts are bearing at             a 45 degee angle in a whorl around the pistils. Pollen: None             observed. Anthers: Size: 1.5 mm in length. Color: White             Group 155A. Quantity: On average, Filaments: Color:             Yellow-Green Group 145C. Length: Yellow white. Pistils:             Quantity: On average, Stigmas: Superior in location relative             to the length of the filaments and the height of the             anthers. Styles: Color: Green white. Length: mm.         -   Seed head characteristics.—Not observed. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Climbing, trailing.         -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 60 cm in height. Average spread             is 40 cm.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 146C.             Mature stems are Yellow-Green Group 146C with intonations of             Greyed-Orange Group 174A. Internodes: On average, 60 mm             between nodes. Length: Normally 15 cm from the base of the             plant to the flowering portion of the stem. Diameter:             Normally 2 mm. Texture: Mature stems are generally smooth.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Evergreen. Arrangement:             Triternate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are normally 60 mm             (l)×55 mm (w). Leaflets are normally 40 mm (l)×30 mm (w).             Abundance: On average 2 leaves per 10 cm of stem. Leaf             Color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 146A. Juvenile             lower Yellow-Green Group 146B. Mature upper Yellow-Green             Group 146A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 146B. Stipules:             Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 20 mm in length by 1.5 mm             diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146A.             Petioloule: Size: Normally 18 mm in length by 1 mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 146A. Leaflet             Shape: Generally elliptic. The base is attenuate. The apex             is rounded. Margin: Dentate to lobed. Surface: The upper             side is smooth. Thickness: Thick. Glossiness: Glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species.         -   Cold hardiness.—Trials to date show the variety is hardy to             −10° C.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo044’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant white flowers, attractive long lasting foliage, compact growth, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, and flowering under glasshouse conditions, which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 